Soda fountain treats such as sundaes, sodas and milkshakes have for many years proven to be extremely popular with a broad range of consumers. These types of treats are perhaps particularly enjoyed by younger children. One of the most favorite soda fountain type treats is that generally referred to as a milkshake or malted milk both of which are often referred to generically as "milkshakes" or simply "shakes". The creation of such milkshakes is relatively simple and involves combining milk, ice cream, flavoring and sometimes malted milk powder as well as other optional ingredients such as fruit or the like in a mixer or blender to produce a smooth creamy beverage. Other types of similar beverages are produced in mixers or blenders such as "fruit smoothies" or the like.
Children's toys often mirror or mimic adult activities. In the case of soda fountains and the like, this trend has existed for some time. However, the concerns for safety and ease of operation raised when children's toys versions of such soda fountain apparatus are contemplated substantially limit the operation of the mixers or blenders.
As would be expected, the popularity of such blended or mixed types of beverages has prompted practitioners in the art to create a wide variety of mixing and blending apparatus. For example, U.S. Pat. Des. No. 285,892 issued to Doyel sets forth a MIXER/POURER FOR DRINKS in which a cylindrical beverage container supports a pouring spout, a handle and an upper housing mechanism. The upper housing mechanism supports a plurality of downwardly extending mixer elements together with a drive mechanism for rotating the mixer elements within the beverage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,030,908 issued to Barnett, et al. sets forth a DISPENSING APPARATUS having a cylindrical mixing chamber pivotally secured to a generally planar base support. A latch mechanism secures the mixing chamber to the base and a dispensing valve is operable to dispense the mixing chamber contents into the base. A covering lid supports a crank mechanism and downwardly extending set of mixer blades operative within the mixing chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,338 issued to Waak sets forth PERCOLATOR/BLENDER TOYS in which a blender vessel is securable to and supportable by a simulated blender base mechanism. The base includes a rotating drive assembly which engages a rotating mechanism within the beverage vessel to simulate percolating activity or the like within the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,580 issued to Doyel sets forth a TWO-MOTOR BATTERY-OPERATED MIXER-POURER having a mixing vessel and a combination blender and pump apparatus in which a first motor operates to drive a beverage pump for forcing the beverage from the mixing chamber to the dispensing spout and a second motor operates to rotate a set of mixing blades.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,375 issued to Wellhausen, et al. sets forth a TOY APPARATUS having a fluid container supporting an upper lid assembly. A crank handle is rotatably secured to the upper assembly and is coupled through a gear drive mechanism to a plurality of downwardly extending blender elements. As the handle is cranked, the gear drive assembly rotates the downwardly extending blender elements within the mixing chamber.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 101,703 issued to Cruck sets forth a COMBINED ELECTRIC FOOD MIXER AND FRUIT JUICER having a base member defining a container support surface and an upwardly extending support arm. A motor driven juice mechanism is supported by the upwardly extending arm and is operative to extract juice from a citrus fruit or the like which is collected in a container received upon the planar support surface.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have enjoyed some level of success and effectiveness, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved and realistic children's toy which provide the benefit of child operable mixing and blending devices.